Virginia Bluebell
by aluminumovercast
Summary: Edward, Hollywood's heartthrob, takes a trip to Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving with his best friend's family. He has no idea how those two weeks in small town USA will change his life irrevocably.
1. Chapter 1

EPOV

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to SM. **

**AN: This is a revamped version of a story that I started writing many years ago under a different penname, but had no direction to take it in. I believe I've gotten all of the kinks worked out and so here we have it. **

Dust flies everywhere as the tires of Emmett's truck leave the main roadway and turn on an old dirt road in the middle of nowhere. The headlights shine brightly into the black of night. There are no landmarks, no trees in sight; no nothing for miles.

"You live way out here?" I ask, staring out the passenger side window.

"I do. Well, I did. We've still got a couple of miles to go before we make it to the ranch."

Ah, the ranch. Fuck if I know how Emmett had talked me into joining him and his family for Thanksgiving in the middle of BFE. Well, that's not necessarily true. Being British, I didn't celebrate the holiday and since production of the movie I was working on had been closed down for two weeks to give the production crew and all of the other Americans on set time to be with their families, it just kind of made sense when Emmett suggested it to me. I could use a couple of weeks away from the Hollywood way of life anyways. Surely the paparazzi wouldn't be able to find me way out here. Where were we anyways?

"What did you say the name of this town is?" I ask over the dull hum of the engine.

"Garrett, Texas. Town of 550 people. A big difference from LA and London huh?" he snickers. I nod my head. Yeah, you could say that for sure.

A few minutes later, Emmett took a right through a pair of rod iron gates. It was the first place we'd seen since we left the main road at least twenty minutes ago. The truck shakes violently as it crosses over a couple of metal rods imbedded in the driveway. Up in the distance I can make out the shape of a house; a bright porch light shining out into the darkness like a beacon.

We pass wooden fences full of horses of all colors, shapes, and sizes, a herd of cattle, and a few bulls. There was an arena of sorts set up just off to the left of a metal barn. As we make our way up to the house, I can't help but to feel out of my element. Way out of my element. This was cowboy country and a cowboy I was not.

Emmett's truck comes to a stop right in front of the house, in between a newer white SUV and an old farm truck. We make quick work of grabbing our bags from the backseat and bound up the stairs that lead to a huge wrap around porch. Forgoing knocking, Emmett turns the knob and barges right in, dropping his bags at his feet. The house was warm and had a very homey feel to it. It was an open floor plan and from where we are standing, I can see a beautiful brunette standing behind the island in the kitchen. She looks up when she hears us come in and a big smile breaks across her face. Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel, she heads towards us.

"Emmett, you made it!" she exclaims, enveloping him in a big hug. I stand there awkwardly, still holding my bags.

"This must be Edward," she says as she pulls away from Em. She reaches out and offers me a hug too. I oblige. She smells like a mix of cinnamon and coffee.

"Edward, this is my mom Renee Swan. Mom, this is Edward Cullen." This lady was Emmett's mum? She looked way too young!

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Swan," I say. She smiles and motions for me to follow her. Em collects his bags and follows behind.

"You'll be staying in Bell's room since she won't be able to make it this year." We follow her up a set of stairs and down a hallway until we reach the end.

"You sure she won't mind me staying in her room?" I ask as Mrs. Swan opens the door and flicks on the light.

"Nah, Bells is cool. As long as you don't break any of her shit, she'll be fine with it. Sucks she won't be here though. At least Alice will be around to give me some one to make fun of," Emmett jokes..

Alice. Emmett had warned me about her. She was a huge fan of mine and supposedly when he told her that I'd be tagging along, she nearly blew a head gasket. He assured me that in giving her a warning a head of time, it'd give her some time to cool off and I wouldn't have to worry about some teenage girl following me around the whole time I was here. Hopefully he was right.

"Oh okay, great." I say as I step into the light yellow painted room.

"We'll give you some time to get settled in. Emmett's room is straight across the hall and the door right next to his is the bathroom. You, Em, and Alice will all have to share. Hope you don't mind. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. We're glad you could join us Edward." Emmett's mom says with a small smile before turning her back towards us and heading back down the hallway."

"Well man, I'm going to go put all of my shit up and then grab a shower. If you need anything, just holler. Breakfast is usually around 7, but if you would prefer to sleep in, that's up to you." And on that note, Emmett heads across the hall. I throw my duffel bag down on the quilted bedspread and quickly grab out some pajama pants. Usually I slept in my underwear or sometimes even less, but I didn't quite think that would be appropriate here. I quickly grab all of my toiletries and head for the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed, hoping to beat Emmett in there. For a guy, he takes long fucking showers; showers that I remember taking as a teenage boy when I had other business to attend to than just washing my hair. No, I didn't think Emmett was choking one out, but what the fuck else could he be doing in there that took so fucking long?

As I'm brushing my teeth, fourteen year old Alice herself bops into the room and grabs her toothbrush and begins to brush her teeth in the sink next to where I'm standing, shirtless might I add. I'm immediately in defense mode. I quickly begin to brush my teeth, trying to spend as little time as possible in such a small space with this girl...just in case.

Alice spits and then laughs, grabbing my arm in the process.

"Chill out. I'm not one of _those_ girls. Yeah, I got a bit excited when I found out you were going to be staying here, but the shock factor has warn off. I'll do my best to treat you just like any other one of Emmett's friends that he could've brought home with him…on two conditions." I cock an eyebrow at her. Great, here it goes.

"Do tell." I say and she smiles.

"Condition numero uno: I get a picture with you before you go. Don't worry; I won't share it until you're good and gone so you don't have to worry about anyone finding out you are here." I nod, telling her that I could handle that and wanting her to continue.

"Condition numero dos: Will you autograph my guitar? It's nothing fancy or anything, just a hand-me-down, but it'd be so cool if you'd sign it." I smile and tell her sure, that won't be any problem.

"Alright then, have a good night Edward!" she says as she literally dances out of the bathroom and goes to what I assume is her bedroom. I'm a bit stunned by how calmly she had just handled herself. I shake my head and finish up in the bathroom before heading back to the room I was staying in.

I'm not quite exhausted yet so after checking my phone and sending a couple of texts to my manager and friends back in LA, I take a couple of moments to take in my surroundings. Emmett's sister's room is girly, but not over-the-top. There is a bookshelf that contains quite a number of ribbons and trophies. I take a closer look at a few of them. Most of them look like they were won in something called barrel racing. I think I've seen something like that on TV before when I was flipping through the channels, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

There is a collage of photos taped on one wall. There are pictures of a few horses and many pictures of who I assume to be Emmett's sister and a bunch of friends. I pull one of the pictures off the wall and take a seat on the bed. It's a picture of a young girl, probably seventeen or so, standing beside a cream colored horse. The horse had a large blue ribbon dangling from a strap that went across its head. The girl was smiling from ear to ear and her excitement was evident. There was just something about her that made me want to know her. She was incredibly beautiful; she had definitely gotten her looks from her mum. A little plain compared to some of the women I'd been known to date, but there was definitely something about her that caught my attention.

"I guess it's too bad that Emmett's sister couldn't make it after all." I say softly as I place the picture back where it belongs in the collage.

Turning off the light, I settle into bed. After replying to a few emails, I put my phone to the side and settle onto my right side to look out the large bay window. The stars were so bright out here, no city lights to block the view. The peacefulness of the night stills my mind and I'm asleep before I even have a chance to realize it.


	2. Chapter 2

**As always, SM owns Twilight**

EPOV

When I wake up, I glance at my phone and see that it is just past 9AM. I groan, stretching a bit before sitting up. I look outside the window and notice Emmett out in one of the corrals walking a cream colored horse, similar to the one in the picture I was looking at last night, around in circles. Alice is out there as are a few other people that I have yet to meet.

I take a quick shower and head downstairs, grabbing my trusty pack of cigarettes before I do so. The TV is playing in living room, but there is no one watching it. I grab a banana from off the kitchen counter and a bottle of water from the fridge. I make my way to the front door and as soon as I step outside, I'm assaulted by the smell cigarette smoke from close by. I turn to my right and sure enough, down at the end of the porch sits Mrs. Swan in an old dilapidated rocking chair, sipping a cup of coffee; a lit cigarette perches between her fingertips. She looks up at me and smiles, a small look of worry across her face. I pull a cigarette of my own out and go towards the rocking chair next to hers'.

"You shouldn't smoke," she says kindly as I take a seat. I squint. No, my eyes and nose had not deceived me; Mrs. Swan was smoking a cigarette herself. She chuckles when she sees the look of confusion on my face.

She dabs the cigarette into a coffee can masquerading as a makeshift ashtray.

"I only smoke when I've got something on my mind. But you're so young to have such a nasty habit. Charlie smoked ever since he was thirteen and you see what that got him: an early grave in the cemetery down the road." Emmett had told me beforehand about his father; Charlie's, untimely passing, but hadn't mentioned the cause.

"Cancer?" I ask dumbly. She nods her head and looks out towards the corral where a young teenage boy, about Alice's age, is now walking with the same horse from earlier.

"Yeah. Charlie knew the risks, but for some reason, he thought he was invincible. But when he died twelve years ago this September, he left me a single mom of three kids and a ranch to oversee. I'm sure if he'd had known the outcome, he'd have quit a long time ago." She says the words so devoid of emotion that I can tell she's had to harden her over the years to make sure everyone and everything was taken care of.

"Well if it makes you feel better, I don't have a wife or any kids to take care of, or a ranch for that matter, if something were to happen to me." Mrs. Swan throws her head back and laughs.

"True, but I am pretty sure you have parents and possibly even siblings. Plus, if the good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, you'll meet the right woman one day and want to have a family of your own. Don't deprive them of having you around." I understand what she's saying and snub my cigarette out for the time being.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, motioning towards the corral that she is so intently watching. She nods.

"Blue is showing signs of colic." She says this like I should know what it means. I mean, I've heard the word colic before but I'm not sure how it affects horses. Her phone vibrates on the little outdoor table it is sitting on.

"I'm sorry?" I say and she smiles, picking up her cell phone and hashing out a quick text.

"Blue, the horse that Jasper is walking around, has colic, or an upset stomach as you will, and though it doesn't sound like a big deal, if she was to lie down, her stomach would twist, and she'd more than likely die. That's why Emmett and the others have been out here since before dawn walking her. The best thing to do is to keep her walking and hope that she shows signs of improvement. That reminds me, I hate to be a rude host and all but we're going to have to move your stuff into the guestroom downstairs."

"Oh, okay. What's up?" I ask, not understanding the connection.

"Blue is Bella's horse and when she found out what was happening, she called her boss and told them she had a family emergency and hit the road, headed this way."

"I don't mean to sound crass, but what's the big deal? I mean, you have lots of horses here. Animals die. It's just a part of nature. Surely this isn't the first horse you've had that has gotten sick."

Mrs. Swan groans and I wonder if I've upset her. I'm about to apologize when she opens her mouth to speak.

"Well, you're right in that sense. But as individuals, we connect to some horses more than others. Bella has had Blue since she was 6 years old and she's not 26. She learned to ride on her, taught her how to race barrels; they've just really been through a lot together. Blue is Bella's baby."

Now that I understood. A few years back, my dog from my childhood passed away and I can still remember how painful that had been. I couldn't imagine how much worse it would have been if I'd had him for twenty years. I guess that also confirms my theory that this was in fact the same horse from the picture on Bella's wall.

"I hope she makes it." I say honestly and Mrs. Swan nods.

"Me too, Edward. Me too."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I find myself asking. There was just something inside of me that feels like I need to do something for the girl in that picture last night. Even today, I still can't get the image of her smile out of my head.

"You're more than welcome to go and see if you can lend a hand. I'm sure they'd all appreciate having another person to walk her. They've been at it for a little over seven hours now."

"I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be, but I'll give it a shot." I say, standing up and making my way down the stairs and over towards the pin.

"Hey Edward, come to give us a hand?" Emmett calls out as he sees me approach. I nod, digging my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Here, duck through the fence here," he says, showing me how to do so. I follow suit.

"Jasper, Edward here is going to walk her for a bit to give you a break." My eyes grow wide. Was he really just going to throw me in the thick of things without telling me exactly what I was supposed to do?

"Here Edward, just grab the rein and begin to walk her in large circles, just like Jasper had been doing. The whole purpose is to keep her from lying down so just walk her and let us know when you get tired."

I look over at the horse and attentively reach out my hand to her. She sniffs my wrist and nudges my hand. I take that as a good sign and grab the rein as Emmett has just shown me and begin to lead the horse around the fence line.

I walk her for what feels like hours. It's November, but no one must have mentioned that to the state of Texas because it had to be at least ninety degrees out. Sweat beads down my forehead from underneath the brim of my worn out baseball cap.

"Getting tired Edward?" Emmett asks, jumping off the fence he and most of the rest of the group were sitting on.

"I think I can hold on for a little longer." I say though my body tells me otherwise. I don't know why I feel such a strong fervor to keeping this particular horse alive. If it meant walking it in circles in the sweltering heat for hours on end, then that was what I was going to do.

"I just saw Bells pull up so I'm going to go meet her up at the house. If you need to take a break, just let Alice or one of these guys know and they'll step in." I agree and watch as Emmett heads off in the direction of the house.

"I'm impressed!" snickers one of the guys leaning against the fence. "I didn't think you'd have it in you, Mr. Hollywood, to be out here doing a man's work." I cringe at the nickname.

"I'm just a regular guy." I tell him as I pass by.

"Don't sound like it_. I'm just a regular guy_," he taunts in an awful British accent. A couple of the other guys chuckle and I roll my eyes.

"Jacob, shut it. He's walked her for twice as long as you did this morning so put a sock in it." Alice says, coming to my defense. I give her a small smile. She grins back.

And then at that moment, all hell breaks loose. The horse that I've been walking begins to pull away from me, hard; her large body barreling to the ground. Alice, Jasper, Jacob, and a few other people that had been hanging around all morning come running towards me. They do their best to try and get her standing again, but she's just too weak.

"Blue!" I hear a female call out from behind me. Blue's eyes flicker open once more at the sound of the voice and then close again; her breathing becoming shallower.

"Move!" the voice barks out, pushing me and Jacob back as she grabs the rein and pulls with all of her strength, trying to get the horse to stand again. She doesn't budge. Emmett and Mrs. Swan are close behind and I feel Emmett's shoulder as he brushes past me and grabs the girl, who I'm assuming is Bella, and pulls her away from the horse.

"Blue!" she cries out, tears streaming down her face. She buries her face into Emmett's wide chest and he pats her back somberly.

Bella pulls back and looks back at Blue, who is no longer breathing. Then she looks me square in the eye.

"Why'd you let her lay down?" she accuses with her eyes full of anger.

Oh God! She was going to blame me for letting this happen? I was only trying to help.

I open my mouth to say just that but Mrs. Swan beat s me to it.

"Now Bella, you know better than that! It isn't Edward's fault. Not a single one of us would have been able to stop her from lying down if that's what God's plans called for." Bella shakes her head, laying her tear streaked face against Emmett's chest once more.

"I'm sorry…" she whispers to me as Emmett turns away from me and begins to carry Bella back towards the house. Alice runs after them, crying too. Mrs. Swan isn't far behind. I sigh. I can't believe this has just happened. How did I let this horse die?

Jacob's hand swats me on the shoulder.

"I was just kidding about what I said before." He must see the defeat in my eyes. "Like Mrs. Swan said, it was just Blue's time to go." I nod, but his words don't make me feel much better.

"Why don't you go on up to the house and let the rest of us handle digging the hole for the old girl."

I do as he says, but stop on the front porch before heading in to face Bella and the rest of the family again. I pull out a cigarette and light it, taking a few quick puffs.

Surely even Mrs. Swan would agree that now was as good as any for a cigarette.


End file.
